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HOPE - Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally - is Georgia's unique scholarship and grant program that rewards students with financial assistance in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at eligible public and private colleges and universities and public technical colleges in Georgia.

HOPE is funded entirely by the Georgia Lottery for Education, which also funds Georgia's statewide pre-kindergarten program. Since the HOPE Program began in 1993, over $6.4 billion in HOPE funds have been awarded to more than 1.5 million students attending Georgia's colleges, universities, and technical colleges. You can benefit from HOPE in several ways.

HOPE Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, HOPE Grant and Zell Miller Grant

The HOPE Scholarship program is for students that have demonstrated academic achievement and are seeking a college degree. There are several ways to become eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, either by graduating from high school as a HOPE Scholar or by earning it while in college. For more information, please review the HOPE scholarship regulations here.

The HOPE Grant program is for students seeking a technical certificate or diploma, regardless of the student's high school grade point average or graduation date. For more information, please review please review the HOPE grant regulations here.

The Zell Miller Scholarship program is for students who have demonstrated academic achievement and are seeking a college degree. Generally, to become eligible, a student must graduate from an eligible high school with a 3.70 GPA and a minimum score on the SAT/ACT. For more information, please review the Zell Miller Scholarship regulations here.

The Zell Miller Grant program is for students seeking a technical certificate or diploma, regardless of the student's high school grade point average or graduation date. To be eligible for the Zell Miller Grant, a student must earn and maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative postsecondary GPA. For more information, please review the Zell Miller Grant regulations here.

The HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships and HOPE and Zell Miller Grants pay a certain amount for tuition. The amount of the award depends on the type of school the student is attending, the number of credit hours the student is enrolled, and the specific tuition rate for the college. Please review the HOPE and Zell Miller Award Charts to determine your award amount.

Check your HOPE Eligibility here.

All HOPE programs require students to meet basic requirements. An eligible student must:

  1. Meet HOPE's U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements;
  2. Be a legal resident of Georgia;
  3. Meet enrollment requirements;
  4. Be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements;
  5. Meet academic achievement standards required by the program or the college;
  6. Be in good standing on all student loans or other financial aid programs;
  7. Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990;
Not have exceeded the maximum award limits for any HOPE program.